Ex-chief in charge of funeral home

By Sharon Mack, BDN staff•December 6, 2000 12:00 am

PITTSFIELD – Dwayne Black, the former operator of Shorey’s Funeral Chapel in Pittsfield, recently relocated to Connecticut, leaving the local facility to be operated by Dana McGinnis, former Clinton police chief.

According to McGinnis, Black and his family moved out of state last month, a move that was a considerable job advancement and was made quite quickly.

Black and his wife, Marcia, had operated Shorey’s for nearly nine years, along with a second business, Rosemonde’s Florist, also in Pittsfield. The florist business has since been sold.

According to Gregory Bolton of Service Corporation International, Black had sold the facility to SCI about two years ago and had remained as manager. SCI is the world’s largest funeral and cemetery company with 4,500 locations in 20 countries.

The company is based in Houston, Texas. In Maine, SCI operates about two dozen funeral homes.

Black’s transfer to Connecticut was within the company’s holdings.

Local residents who have money in mortuary trusts at Shorey’s should be reassured that nothing has changed in the wake of Black’s departure, said Bolton.

“[Black’s] departure has no impact on the status or safety of any funeral prearrangements made with Shorey Funeral Chapel,” Bolton said.

“Any funds placed in trust for prearranged funerals are protected by law.”

“Shorey Funeral Chapel will continue to provide the finest possible service to the families of Pittsfield,” he added.